Driver HAROLD ROWLAND HACKETT Service Number: T/138275

Driver HAROLD ROWLAND HACKETT
Service Number: T/138275
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Army Service Corps

Date of Death
Died 20 May 1941

Age 24 years old
Commemorated on the Athens memorial.

This is the next name on the Woodville (UK) War Memorial that I am looking for information on. I know virtually nothing of this man, other than he was married to Gladys and they lived in Moira. Any help with Harold would be greatly appreciated.

 

Athens Memorial:


(image by Dimitrios Corcodilos at findagrave.com)

Casualty lists:



British Army List of names circulated to POW camps:



1921 Census. Harold was born in Blackfordby and also resident there at that time. Father Charles was a pipe carrier for the Donington Pipe Co, Moira:



1939 Census. Harold is shown as a sanitary pipe carrier, heavy work(er), possibly also at the Donington Pipe Co:



Harold was born on 2nd December, 1917, father Charles William, mother Emma, née Grummett, born in Hartshorne, Derbyshire.

(all images courtesy of Ancestry)

 

His Service Record is held by TNA, but it is 'Closed' as their procedures require an official document recording his death (CWGC entry will do). Follow the link and TNA explain: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/mod-closed-foi-request-step1/C19248003

See: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C19069621

Alas I expect only his Service Record will identify his unit. From memory some RASC units were assigned to support a frontline unit and others further back.

Good luck.

 

Thank you so very much for this, it is very much appreciated. The Hartshorne connection is certainly an interesting one especially as his wife's surname is not one I have come across before. My initial thoughts were he was a casualty of the Souda (Suda) Bay attack on the date of his death. would Souda Bay be classed as Greece or Crete? As I see he was initially posted as missing in Greece, then later changed to Crete. Regards Ian

 

Thank you so much David, very much appreciated as always. Regards Ian

 

Amongst the Commonwealth forces sent to Greece was one British armored brigade and that had two RASC assigned units:

From: German invasion of Greece - Wikipedia and 1st Armoured Brigade (United Kingdom) - Wikipedia

Add x4 artillery regiments. From: Battle of Greece order of battle - Wikipedia

The invasion was between 6 April – 1 June 1941

I assume the Australian and New Zealand divisions had their own non-UK supply units

The Commonwealth evacuation by sea was between 21-30th April, with heavy losses.

The battle for Crete was between 20 May–1 June 1941. Wiki's Order of Battle lists no RASC units. See: Battle of Crete order of battle - Wikipedia

Note Wiki refers to:

Given that he is shown on the Athens Memorial, there was no body recovered, either from land or sea. My recollection is that the date of death was based on eye witness memory, i.e. when he was last seen. Hence the phrase on the displayed record from 1945 : 'on or shortly after 20/5/1942'.

The Suda Bay CWGC Cemetery has:

From: https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-...cemetery-details/69004/suda-bay-war-cemetery/

Two thousand dead amongst the Commonwealth forces on Crete.

As I read it there is no memorial @ Suda Bay and the CWGC state:

From: https://www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-...metery-details/2022200/phaleron-war-cemetery/

 

Thank you so very much for this information David, it has given me an avenue or two to follow. I looked at the casualties from 20th May and most were Australian and New Zealand troops with a smattering of British (a lot of H.A.A men). You mention 'when last seen' I wonder if that is why he was change from originally missing in Greece, to missing in Crete.
Very much appreciated, Ian

 

If you’re referring in your reply to Emma’s maiden name, Grummett, she was Harold’s mother, not his wife. Her own mother, Harold’s maternal grandmother, was born in Newhall, Derby and her maiden name was Poynton.

Emma’s father, Frederick Grummett, was actually born in Bedford, which would maybe account for that not being a local name you recognise?

I can’t quite recall now where I read that his mum was born in Hartshorne, as when you look at that 1921 Census it says she was born in/on “Derbyshire Boundary”, although the 1891 Census does show her living in Hartshorne:



Harold’s wife’s name, of course, was Gladys. Her maiden name was Cowley and she was born on 8th September 1918 in Woodville, Derbyshire, her birth being registered in the Ashby-de-la-Zouch district (I believe you explained once before that the Ashby registration district would make sense for some of these Derbyshire villages).

Funnily enough, Gladys’s own father, Albert Cowley, also worked as a pipe carrier at the Donington Pipe Co.

Gladys apparently remarried in Repton in 1950.

 

My apologies regarding the mix up between wife and mother. My brain isn't what it used to be these days and I am sure somewhere I even got the month of Harold's death wrong. Anyway enough of that, many thanks for providing the additional information, I am putting it all together at the moment so I can sort it out later and get some order to it. As regards the surname Grummett I have copies of Hartshorne school log books from 1875-1913 and I am fairly sure the surname didn't crop up hence the reason I said it wasn't familiar to me. The Ashby district does cover places like Woodville, Boundary and Blackfordby but Hartshorne came under Repton at that time. Best wishes Ian